Palaeocene-Eocene marker pollen from India and tropical Africa

Authors

  • B.S. Venkatachala Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53, University Road, Lucknow 226007, India
  • C. Caratini French Institute, Pondicherry 600005, India
  • C. Tissot French Institute of Pondicherry, 11 St. Louis Street, P. B No. 33, Pondicherry 605011, India
  • R.K. Kar Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53, University Road, Lucknow 226007, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1988.1595

Keywords:

Palynology, Palaeogeography, Continental Drift, Palaeocene, Eocene, India, Africa

Abstract

The Palaeocene-Eocene epochs have witnessed a great floral diversification in tropical areas, which is also reflected in the pollen spectra. The important Indian stratigraphical marker taxa have been examined and a comparative study with extant material has provided botanical affinities to some of the taxa. Their comparison with those recorded in Africa leads to reflection on their palaeogeographical distribution. The stratigraphic ranges have been shown in the range chart. Some of the taxa common to India and Africa are: Retistephanocolpites williamsi, Spinizonocolpites spp., Tricolpites reticulatus, Proxapertites spp., Anacolosidites luteoides and Marginipollis spp. A number of Indian, as well as African taxa, are not recorded beyond the terminal Eocene; some of them could have migrated from India to other countries such as Gonystylus (Cryptopolyporites) to Malaysia and Gunnera (Tricolpites reticulatus) to Australia. The relative location and motion of India during these epochs could explain the singularity of the Early Tertiary Indian palynoflora.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Anderson JC & Muller J 1975. Palynological study of a Holocene peat and a Miocene coal deposit from NW Borneo. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 19: 291-351.

Axelrod DI 1974. Plate tectonics in relation to the history of Angiosperm vegetation in India, pp. 5-18 in: Lakhanpal RN (Ed.)-Symposium on origin and phytogeography of angiosperms, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow.

Axelrod DI & Raven PH 1978. Late Cretaceous and Tertiary vegetation history of Africa, pp. 77-130 in: Werger M (Ed.)-Biogeography and ecology of southern Africa, La Hague.

Baksi SK 1972. On the palynological biostratigraphy of Bengal Basin. Sem. Palaeopalynol. Indian Stratigr., Calcutta: 188-206.

Baksi SK & Venkatachala BS 1970. Meyeripollis, a new genus from the Tertiary sediments of Assam. J. geol. Soc. India 11(1): 81-83.

Barré de Cruz M 1982. Etude palynologique due Tertiaire due Sud-Est asiatique (Kalimantan: delta de la Mahakam; Mer de chine: permis de Beibu). These, Univ. Bordeaux III, 2t. 222 p, 21 pl.

Bhandari LL Venkatachala BS & Singh P 1977. Stratigraphy, palynology and palaeontology of Ladakh molasse group in the Kargil area. Proc. 4 Colloq Indian Micropaleont. Stratigr.: 127-133.

Biswas B 1962. Stratigraphy of the Mahadeo, Langpar, Cherra and Tura formations, Assam, India. Bull. geol. Min. metall. Soc. India 25: 1-48.

Biswas SK & Raju DSN 1971. Note on the rock- stratigraphic classification of the Tertiary sediments of Kutch. Q. J. geol Min, metall. Soc. India 43(3): 177-180.

Boltenhagen E 1965. Introduction à la palynologie stratigraphique du Bassin Sédimentaire de l'Afrique Equatoriale. Coll. Int. Micropal. Dakar. 1963. B.R.G.M. no. 32, pp. 306-327.

Bonnefille R 1987. Evolution des milieux tropicaux africains depuis le début de Cénozoique. Mem. Trav. E.P.H.E., Inst. Montpellier 17: 101-110.

Boudouresque L 1980. Contribution de la paléopalynologie á la reconstitution floristique, stratigraphique et paléogéographique de la bordure occidentale du bassin des Iullemmeden au Crétacé supérieur et au paléogène (Niger et Mali-Afrique de l'Ouest). These, Univ. Niamey et d'Orléans, 245 p., 22 pl., unpublished (available as microcard) CENNADOM, Domaine Universitaire, Talence, France.

Caratini 1983. Nomenclature and taxonomy: Supports to palynology or rhetorical pursuit? Comments on a recent paper on polycolpate fossils. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 40: 227-231.

Cookson IC 1947. Plant microfossils from the lignites of Kerguelen archipelago. Rep. B.A.N.Z. Antarct. Exped., Ser. A.: 129-142.

Cookson IC 1950. Fossil pollen grains of Proteaceous type from Tertiary deposits in Australia. Aust. J. biol. Sci. 3: 166-177.

Couper RA 1953. Upper Mesozoic and Cainozoic spores and pollen grains from New Zealand. N. Z. geol. Surv. palaeont. Bull. 22: 1-77.

Dutta SK & Sah SCD 1970. Palyno-stratigraphy of the Tertiary sedimentary formations of Assam: 5. Stratigraphy and palynology of South Shillong Plateau. Palaeontographica 131: 1-72.

Elsik WC 1968. Palynology of a Palaeocene Rockdale lignite, Milan country, Texas II. Morphology and taxonomy. Pollen Spores 10: 599-664.

Elsik WC 1970. Palynology of a Palaeocene Rockdale lignite, Milan country, Texas. III. Errata and taxonomic revisions. Pollen Spores 12: 99-101.

Germeraad JH, Hopping CA & Muller J 1968. Palynology of Tertiary sediments from tropical areas. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 6: 189-348.

González Guzmán AE 1967. A palynological study on the Upper Los Cuervos and Mirador formations (Lower and Middle Eocene; Tribu area, Colombia). Thesis, EJ. Brill, Leiden, 68 p., 30 pl.

Good R 1953. The geography of the flowering plants. Long Mans Green Co., 452 p.

Jan du Chène RE, Onyike MS & Sowunmi MA 1978. Some new Eocene pollen of the Agwashi-Asaba Formation, South-eastern Nigeria. Rev. Esp. Micropaleont, 10: 285-322.

Jansonius J & Hills LV 1987. General file of fossil spores. 1987. Supplement, special publ., Dept. Geology, Univ. Calgary, Canada.

Jarzen DM 1980. The occurrence of Gunnera pollen in the fossil records. Biotropica 12: 117-123.

Kar RK 1978. Palynostratigraphy of the Naredi (Lower Eocene) and the Harudi (Middle Eocene) formations in the district of Kutch, India. Palaeobotanist 25: 161-177.

Kar RK 1985. The fossil flora of Kachchh-IV, Tertiary palynostratigraphy. Palaeobotanist 34: 1-279.

Kar RK & Jain KP 1981. Palynology of Neogene sediments around Quilon and Varkala, Kerala coast, South India-2. Spores and pollen grains. Palacobotanist 27(2): 113 131.

Kar RK & Kumar M 1986. Palaeocene palynostratigraphy of Meghalaya, India. Pollen Spores 28: 177-218.

Kar RK & Saxena RK 1981. Palynological investigation of a bore core near Rataria, southern Kutch, Gujarat. Geopbytology 11: 103-124.

Kemp EM & Harris WK 1970. The palynology of Early Tertiary sediments, ninety east ridge, Indian Ocean. Palaeont. Assoc. Lond. special Pap. Palaeont. 19: 1-69.

Khan AM 1976. Palynology of Tertiary sediments from Papua, New Guinea. I. New form genera and species from Upper Tertiary sediments. Aust. J. Bot. 24: 753-781.

Legoux O 1978. Quelques espèces de pollen caractériśtiques du Nigéria. Bull. Cent. Explor. Prod. Elf-Aquitaine 2(2): 265-317.

Legoux O, Belsky CY & Jardiné S 1972. Pollens nouveaux de l'Eocène d'Afrique Occidentale. C.R. 4e Coll. Afr. Micropaleontologie: 226-235.

Le Thomas A 1980. Ultrastructural characters of the pollen grains of African Annonaceae and their significance for the phylogeny of primitive Angiosperms (first part). Pollen Spores 22(3-4): 267-342.

Martin ARH & Harris WK 1974. Reappraisal of some palynomorphs of supposed proteaceous affinity. Grana 14: 108-113.

Masure E 1974. Cycadaceae. in: Pollen et Spores d'Afrique tropicale. Trav. Doc. Geogr. trop. 16: 16-17.

Mathur YK & Jain AK 1980. Palynology and age of the Dras volcanics near Shergol, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Geosci. J. 1(1): 55-74.

Muller J 1972. Palynological evidence for change in geomorphology, climate and vegetation in the Mio-Pliocene of Malaysia. Univ. Hull., Dept. Geogr. misc. ser. 13: 6-34.

Muller J 1981. Fossil pollen record of extant Angiosperms. Bot. Rev. 47: 1-142.

Muller J, Di Giacomo E & Van Erve AW 1987. A palynological zonation for the Cretaceous, Tertiary and Quaternary of Northern South America. Am. Assoc. Stratigr. Palynol. Contr. ser. 19: 7-76.

Nowicke JW, Patel V & Skvarla JJ 1985. Pollen morphology and the relationships of Aeoxylon, Amyxa and Gonystylus of the Thymelaeaceae. Am. J. Bot. 72(7): 1106-1113.

Olivet JL, Goslin J, Beuzart P, Unternehr P, Bonnin J & Carré D 1987. The breakup and dispersion of Pangea. map, Snea (P) & Ifremer Ed.

Pocknall D & Crosbie Y 1988. Pollen morphology of Beauprea (Proteaceae): Modern and fossil. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 53: 305-327.

Pomerol Ch & Premoli-Silva I (eds)-1986. Terminal Eocene events: Developments in palaeontology and stratigraphy, ser. 9. 414 p.

Potonié R 1960. Synopsis der Gattungen der Sporae dispersae II. Teil: Sporites (Nachräge), Saccites, Aletes, Praecolpates, Polyplicates, Monocolpates. Beib. geol. Jb. 31: 1-114.

Praglowski J 1970. The pollen morphology of the Haloragaceae with reference to taxonomy. Grana 10: 159-239.

Raha PK, Rajendran CP & Kar RK 1986a. Occurrence of Eocene palynofossils in subsurface Tertiary sediments of Kerala. J. geol. Soc. India 28: 48.50.

Raha PK, Rejendran CP & Kar RK 1986b. Eocene palynofossils from the subcrop of Kerala. Bull. geol. Min. Metall. Soc. India 54: 227-232.

Ramanujam CGK 1966. Palynology of the Miocene lignite from South Arcot District, Madras, India. Pollen Spores 8: 149.203.

Rawat M, Mukherjee J & Venkatachala BS 1977. Palynology of the Kadi Formation, Cambay Basin, India. Proc. 4th Colloq. Indian Micropal. Stratigr.: 179-191.

Sah SCD & Dutta SK 1966. Palyno-stratigraphy of the sedimentary formations of Assam: 1, Stratigraphical position of the Cherra Formation. Palaeobotanist 15(1-2): 72-86.

Sah SCD & Kar RK 1970. Palynology of the Laki sediments in Kutch-3. Pollen from the bore-holes around Jhulrai, Baranda and Panandhro. Palaeobotanist 18(2): 127-142.

Sah SCD & Kar RK 1974. Palynology of the Tertiary sediments of Palana, Rajasthan. Palaeobotanist 21: 163-188.

Sahni B & Rao HS 1943. A silicified flora from the Intertrappean cherts around Sausar in the Deccan. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. India 13(1): 36-75.

Salard M 1974. Grains de pollen tertiaries due Cameroun rapportés à la famille des Bombacacées. Rev. gen. Bot.: 359-367.

Salard-Cheboldaeff M 1977. Paléopalynologie due bassin sédimentaire littoral du Cameroun dans ses rapports avec la stratigraphie et la paléoécologie. These, Univ. P & M. Curie, Paris, 262 p.

Salard-Cheboldaeff M 1979. Palynologie maestrichtienne et tertiaire due Cameroun. Etude qualitative et répartition verticale des principales especces. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 28: 365-388.

Saxena RK 1979. Palynology of the Matanomadh Formation in type area, north-western Kutch, India (part 2). Systematic description of gymnospermous and angiospermous pollen grains. Palaeobotanist 26: 130-143.

Siddhantha BK 1986. The age of Neyveli lignite with reference to stratigraphy and palynology. Indian Minerals 40(3): 61-82.

Smith AG, Hurley AM & Briden JC 1981. Phanerozoic paleo-continental world maps. Cambridge Univ. Press, 102 pp.

Thanikaimoni G 1966. Contribution à l'étude palynologique des Palmiers. Inst. Fr. Pondichery, Trav. Sec. Sci. Tech. 5(2):1-92.

Thanikaimoni G 1977. Mangrove palynology. Inst. Fr. Pondichery, Trav. Sec. Sct. Tech. 24: 1-100.

Thanikaimoni G, Caratini C, Sivak J & Tissot C 1987. Striatoechiperiporites, a new pollen genus from the Eocene of Niger. Pollen Spores 29: 411-420.

Thanikaimoni G, Caratini C, Venkatachala BS, Ramanujam CGK & Kar RK 1984. Selected Tertiary Angiosperm pollen from India and their relationships with African Tertiary pollens. Inst. Fr. Pondichery, Trav. Sec. Sci. Tech. 19, 93 p., 72 pl.

van der Hammen T & Wijmstra TH 1964. A palynological study on the Tertiary and Upper Cretaceoùs of British Guiana. Leid. geol. Meded. 30: 183-241.

van Hoeken-Klinkenberg PMJ 1964. A palynological investigation of some Upper Cretaceous sediments in Nigeria. Pollen Spores 6(1): 209-231.

Venkatachala BS & Kar RK 1969. Palynology of the Tertiary sediments of Kutch-1. Spores and pollen from bore-hole no. 14. Palaeobotanist 17: 157-178.

Venkatachala BS & Rawat MS 1972. Palynology of the Tertiary sediments in the Cauvery Basin. Palaeocene- Eocene palynoflora from the sub-surface. Proc. Seminar on Palaeopalynol. Indian Stratigr., 1971, Calcutta: 292-335.

Warter JK 1965. Palynology of a lignite of lower Eocene (Wilcox) age from Kemper Country, Mississipi. Unpub. Ph.D. Dissert., Louisiana St. Univ.: 203 p.

Wodehouse RP 1933. Tertiary pollen. II. The oil shales of the Eocene Green River Formation. Bull. Torrey bot. Club 60: 479-524.

Downloads

Published

1988-12-31

How to Cite

Venkatachala, B., Caratini, C., Tissot, C., & Kar, R. (1988). Palaeocene-Eocene marker pollen from India and tropical Africa. Journal of Palaeosciences, 37((1-3), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1988.1595

Issue

Section

Research Articles